Wounds Never Lie
by Elf Fanatic Lark
Summary: It had been only days since Cloud had faced his greatest inner demon, Sephiroth. In his veins, in his life blood, a great evil lays in wait. When Cloud disappears, can Tifa put her nightmares together in order to find what has happened to him in time?
1. Prologue

  


" Wounds Never Lie" By: Elf Fanatic Lark

Disclaimer: I don't own any Final Fantasy 7 characters, but I can dream can't I? Ah..Well. Anyways, this is my first FF 7 Fanfiction, so tell me how you like it!

  


*Prologue*

  


It had been only days since the world had been saved; finally rid of the evil that threatened to destroy everything.

It had been only days since the young mercenary, Cloud Strife, had to face his greatest inner demon, Sephiroth. Although Sephiroth had been destroyed, Jenova still freely flowed through Cloud's veins. Ever present, the evil still existed, hiding inside him........waiting. 

  


Cloud couldn't take it anymore, knowing that she still lived inside him. Knowing that his life depended on those cells, he was defenseless, and thought it hopeless to live a normal life. The pain of losing his one and only love, Aries, was still burning inside him, no amount of revenge could satisfy his loneliness. Tifa was there, and so was the rest of AVALANCHE, but he was alone, and different. 

He still did not know if his past was a lie, or a truth. He would remember something new every once and awhile, but it only further mangled his understanding of his past. He was confused, alone in the world, he wouldn't talk or eat much. He was always secluded in thought, concerned about his friends, and if she would ever awaken again and was to find her old power. They would get hurt. They would blame him. 

  


He was harboring her in himself, but he hadn't wanted it that way. He wanted to be his old self again. He wanted to see his mother again, to see her smile that brightened any rainy day. He wanted everyone to be happy and he hoped that his wish would come true. That Aries would come back to him, and tell him that this was all a bad dream. That Hojo was never alive, and Sephiroth and Jenova were just a part of a stupid fairy tale that was used to keep children in line. But, that would never happen, it was useless to even dream about it. He had to find out about his past, and sitting around at Tifa's bar wouldn't help him learn anything. 

***************

  


_Where would I find out? _Cloud thought to himself. _Where did it all happen? The Nibel Reactor, that's where!_ He had answered his own question. He was set on journeying to Nibelheim, ALONE.

  


(A/N Well, that's the end of the prologue! Phew! I thought of this fanfic when I was doing my Algebra homework! It's funny how inspiration comes to ya like that! Anyways, please R&R! It's my first FF 7 fanfic. Ummmm.....stay tuned for Chapter 1! I don't know the title yet, but wait and see!)


	2. Silent Regrets

"Wounds Never Lie"

By: Elf Fanatic Lark

  


Disclaimer: Hmmm....Well, since I last checked I still don't own any FF7 characters! Read on mes amis! Oops! Darn that French CD @_@.

  


Chapter 1 

*Silent Regrets*

  


"Man! Will this rain ever stop?!" Yuffie complained.

"It's been rainin' for three days straight now! Not to mention that I'm still hungry!"

  


"Well, no one insisted that you stay here."

  


"Stay outta it, Vincy. Geeze now you're on my case!?"

  


"If I were you I would refrain from calling me by that name again." Vincent replied, his voice as merciless as an executioner.

"Hmph..." was her only reply.

  


A lock was heard opening, and the door soon to follow. A cold breeze filled the house and the rain could be heard pattering outside.

  


"Hey guys what's up? I just got back from the store, anybody up for lunch?" Tifa called to her friends as she placed an armfull of grocery bags down on the floor.

  


Yuffie rushed to the front door, she couldn't help but be excited. They hadn't had a descent meal for a couple of days now. (Due to the fact that business was still pretty slow, people were too busy to come and have a drink and relax.) She skidded to a halt in front of a soaking wet brunette, who showed no care to if she was wet or dry.

  


"So, Tif whatcha'ya got?" Yuffie asked expectantly as she picked up one of the bags Tifa had brought in. She frowned as Tifa held an apple in front of her face.

  


"Not apples again. Gawd it's like we hav'ta eat rations or somethin'!" Yuffie exclaimed disappointedly.

  


"Not Today!" Tifa beamed. "Today we have a full course meal! The apple is only a snack!" 

  


"Why the sudden change?" Red asked, who had woken up only moments ago. He had been curled up in front of the fire in the lounge.

  


"Well...I was kinda hoping to one day renovate this old bar, but I knew we couldn't survive on such meager meals. So I took out my old savings so we could have more food." Tifa's eyes became downcast, but she soon brightened up again. 

  


"Hey, how 'bout I make some pancakes, french toast and some bacon? How about it?" She asked.

  


"That sounds great! Let me help you with those bags Tif!" Yuffie said, while trying to hold back the drool that had accumulated, at Tifa's description of her plan.

  


"Lemme just change, and I'll be right back," Tifa called out to Yuffie, who was getting the pans ready to make lunch.

  


"Alright, jus' hurry up!"

  


Tifa smiled as she began to walk up the stairs to her room. Yuffie was like a little sister to her, come to think of it, they were all family now. She began to wonder what would've happened if the recent tragedy hadn't occurred, they wouldn't be the same strong hearted people they were today. Maybe after all, this wasn't a total loss. 

  


"On the subject of family, where the heck is Cloud?" she whispered aloud. She hadn't seen much of him for the last few days. _Maybe he's in his room?_ She thought,_ but first I gotta get outta this wet clothes! _

  


Only a few minutes had lapsed before she had emerged from her bedroom, sporting sweat pants and a white t-shirt. She yawned as she put her long brown hair into a low pony tail. _Now I'll see what Cloud's up to!_ She walked only for a short time, before reaching the darkened end of the hallway. _This end of the hallway always gives me the creeps! For some reason the sun doesn't extend all the way down here. Never bothered to figure out why. _She slowly walked past two more doors then stopped in front of the last one. It was across from her bedroom. There was a faint beam of light coming from underneath the door.

  


"Aha! I got you now!" She yelled as she reached for the knob and began turning it. "Now just where have you been these couple of da...." She stopped herself mid sentance as she saw the bedroom was empty. The light that she had seen earlier from under the door was only his Ultima weapon glowing as did his own mako infused eyes. 

"Oh..."she whispered in defeat. 

  


She began walking towards the stairs again, but decided against it as she heard a noise coming from the roof.

  


"So you're up there eh?" She began walking up the few flights of stairs, that led to the roof. _What is he doing up there? It's raining cats and dogs!_ She placed her hand on the knob to the door, once again. The door knob was ice cold, she didn't know why. Maybe it was warning her to stay away. 

  


"That's odd,"she whispered to herself, "the weather outside was pretty humid last time I checked. She shivered as a chill went through her small frame. She opened the door so that it stood only slightly ajar. Her wine colored orbs stared at the shivering figure that sat on the roof. He was no longer the strong leader that she had known, but the empty shell of the one that she held so dear. 

  


"C-Cloud?" she whispered so quietly, she would have bet gil that he hadn't heard her.

  


"..................." He didn't reply. Just knowing she was near, just hearing her voice was comforting. She had no clue to what he was going through, he was too afraid to tell her. Every night he had nightmares so real, that they frightened him. He would awaken from them in a cold sweat, a shivering wreak, just like now. He couldn't hide his fear any more it was clawing at his very being to be released, begging for another soul to comfort his broken one.

  


Mostly his dreams were of his Shin-Ra days. But, when he thought he was safe in the sanctuary of his dreams they transformed into nightmares. One of which had pushed him too near the edge. The nightmare in which all of his loved ones had been mercilessly slaughtered, not by his nemesis Sephiroth, or a new foe..........but by himself. Jenova was the puppet master, and he was the mindless puppet, too feeble to think only to obey. For the first time in his life, he cried. His admirable visage broken, he lacked courage, he was too afraid to admit it to others. He didn't want their empty condolences, he wanted answers.

  


********************

"Cloud?" she asked again louder, unsure if he had heard her the first time, stepping through the door. Unbeknownst to her, this door served as the last shield to Cloud's fear, to the darkness that threatened all of their lives. Soon, a side of Cloud she never new would surface. 

  


(A/n Well, that's the end of Chapter 1!! Yeah! Despite a few complications and a demented computer, everything turned out all right! Thanks to my mom for pulling me out of my creative slump! Please R&R ^__^)

  
  


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	3. The Unrelenting Tormentor

"Wounds Never Lie"

By: Elf Fanatic Lark

  


Disclaimer: Well, if ya haven't guessed by now, I still don't own any FF7 characters! Jus' my story! Copyrighted to me! YEP ME! Mhwahahaha! Now I can take over the world! Psychiatrist-"Just keep tellin' yourself that!" Errr....ummmm....Sorry 'bout that! 

  


Chapter 2

*The Unrelenting Tormentor*

_"Everyday Tif,....I die a little bit."_

  
  
  


"Cloud, are you okay?" she asked in a soothing tone, but still no answer.

  


"Are you ignoring me? 'Cause if you are, then I obviously don't belong up here! I might as well go back downstairs, you probably won't even care!" she shouted, to only regret it moments later.

  


"..........I'm.....not, please don't leave," his voice begged, but it seemed empty, concealing a fearful tone.

  


"Oh, I'm sorry!" she cried running to his side, but retired to sit quietly beside him.

  


She glanced over at him, a worried look painted itself on her features as she saw him shivering from the cold. He still hadn't faced her. _What's bothering him?_ Her questions were answered when he turned toward her. She stared at him, shock evident on her face. His fair skin was tear stained, and she could make out dark circles under his weary eyes. He looked up at her and their eyes locked, but Cloud's iridescent gaze was the first to falter. She couldn't bear to see him like this.

  


"Cloud! What's a matter? Are you hurt?" Never in her lifetime did she witness him breaking down. She felt a feeling envelop her, she truly did love him. She placed a delicate hand on his shoulder which shook slightly at her touch.

  


"Come on Cloud, you can tell me."

  


"I don't know...." he confided, his voice quiet, "I'm....not sure of it myself."

  


"Now don't you know me well enough by now? You can tell me anything," she whispered comfortingly.

  


"......I-I guess so."

  


"Why don't we talk over some tea inside? It's a lot warmer there."

  


"No...Not after what I did to them."

  


"Cloud! You haven't done a thing! What do you mean?"

  


He took a breath, and nodded his head slowly. _Should I tell her? Should I say that I'm scared and weak? What would she think of me then? There's no use in keeping her in the dark now..._

  


"Every night I have nightmares. I know you think I'm crazy, but they feel so real, so much bloodshed, so many innocents killed. I can't take it anymore. The Jenova cells inside me are nothing more than a curse, as long as I'm alive, then everyone is at risk."He withheld what had happened in his last dream, or nightmare which it was in reality. The nightmare in which he was the mindless puppet slaughtering his friends, so mercilessly. He could still feel the warmth of the blood in his hands_, _as he sat on the roof listening to the cold rain rhythmically splashing to the ground. 

  


"I don't understand!" She cried, a tear ran down her cheek, but she made no effort to wipe it away.

  


"Jenova's awakening, I can feel it. If we don't stop her, she'll be stronger than ever before."

  


"We destroyed Jenova!.....Didn't we?" she asked afraid to hear his reply.

  


"We never defeated her. You can never slay a virus until all of it is destroyed. Which means...She held onto something. She never returned to the Lifestream. There has to be an anchor somewhere, and whoever or whatever is keeping her alive, must be annihilated at all costs. Or else we risk reviving a deathly plague unto this world that no one is prepared for."

  


"How do you know? A simple feeling can't tell for sure."

  


Cloud looked down at her and grimaced. "A feeling is all I need," he whispered coldly, as he unstrapped his shoulder amour.

  


Tifa felt uneasiness take hold of her mind as she drew her attention to his actions, and saw what he meant. She was soon gazing upon two tattoos that were always hidden from view under the armour. One was a bar code with the letters M.T.S.(Mako Test Subject) written beside it, and the other was a large number, a number five. Both held more pain and repressed memories within their simple ink composure than Tifa could imagine. 

  


"Sephiroth had a number 1, and Zack a number six here," Cloud recited, almost as if he considered each and every syllable before speaking, while he pointed at the black five on his own shoulder. (A/n Not all the right information, but for my story it's perfect!)

  


Tifa gasped as she began to see where he was going. He had never told anyone about his past. Never. "But what does it all mean?!"

  


"I'm not sure or all their meanings, but I have all the intentions in the world to find out." 

  


"Cloud you can't go! We just saved the world from the biggest threat, please rest you deserve it, you haven't slept for days, and your beginning to worry me." 

  


"If she's awakening, and your out there snooping around by yourself, then your as good as dead!"

  


He looked at her as he arose from his sitting positon, his mako glare penetrating her soul. 

  


"I don't intend on dying yet, at least without answers. I have to go, and you can't stop me," He replied coldly.

  


"No you're not well enough! You can't go, but if you must, I'm coming also!

  


He sat back down slowly, but gritted his teeth as he finally situated himself, with his back to her.

  


"Everyday Tif,....I die a little bit. Without Jenova alive, her cells weaken. My body depends on those cells." He drew a hoarse breath, "which means....." 

  


"No!" she yelled. "You're not dying! Your simply weakened from the battle with Sephiroth!" Tears began to fall freely from her eyes as she looked upon him.

  


_Cloud_

  


Cloud looked up at the sky, but shut his eyes tightly. "She's calling!"

  


"What? Is it Jenova? Stop kiddin' Cloud!" Her smile faded as she watched him cry out in pain and fall to his knees. He grabbed his head in agony, as an all too familiar feeling overcame him in an instant. All she could do was watch, she was helpless and she cursed herself inwardly as she remembered she was the source of his pain, all those years ago. 

  


"Tell her to STOP! He cried, trying to fight of the siren like call of Jenova.

  


"Cloud, listen! You can stop her, try to fight it!" she called hoplessly.

  


_Come puppet. Your purpose waits to be revealed! You insolent fool, do not try to withstand my growing power! For you are the source!_

  


Cloud felt as though she were sending flames through his viens and he struggled against the pain as she began to take control, all he could do was cry out in agony. He began to grow weary, as she only became stronger, feeding off his weaknesses.

  


_Come to me, to the place where it all began. You remember don't you, or has your memory clouded that fact as well._

  


"Cloud!" Tifa yelled, as his body fell with a sickening thud to the rough shingles of the roof. She ran over to his lifeless body, and cradled him in her arms. Hie eyes were barely open, but he smiled with the last of his energy, before he slipped off into a comatose state. She was there and he was happy....

  


"Barret! Everyone! Come here! Cloud's....(_dying)_..Hurt!" __

  


_ ***********************_

  


Deep within the reaches of shadow, Jenova laughed, an evil tone enveloped each bellow she released. The alien was neither alive nor dead, but in order to be revived she would need something, that only a few possessed, her consciousness, her cells.

  


"Soon.....Soon, you'll be mine! Maybe you can have a little fun also?" she hissed, as she turned around to face a man in a crisp white lab coat.

  


"Maybe, the specimen wasn't such a failure after all," he said mockingly.

  


"I have a few more experiments that I was unable to finish, thanks to a certain SOLDIER first class. Well, the best is always the last! Time for you to DIE soldier boy!!!!" Hojo sneered as he began to cackle hysterically. The laughing ceased as the encroaching darkness swallowed both of the figures, to reveal nothing but an empty void.

  


"I shall sooner see you in death than in life," Hojo cooed. He had found himself once again standing in front of his old headquarters, the Shin-Ra mansion in Nibelheim. 

  


"Thanks to Jenova, I am alive and well again, Mr. Strife.....I suppose I should prep the hidden laboratory of this run down place. Jenova can't wait forever to be revived."_ I should hope that she has kept up her part, to make him come willingly to us. It's like setting up a trap, and watching him walk blindly into it!!_

  


(A/n The end of chapter two! Party Time! Wow 3 chapters in two days! Lots o' work! Ah well... Stay tuned for chapter 3. WOOHOO!! ^__^) 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. The Nightmare or A Premonition?

"Wounds Never Lie"

By: Elf Fanatic Lark

  


Disclaimer- Okay, hopefully by now, you know I have no hope of ever in any point in my life to own anything Final Fantasy 7! Jus' my story! Haha! 

  


Chapter 3

  


* The Nightmare or a Premonition?*

  


_"Everyday Tif,....I die a little bit. Without Jenova alive, her cells weaken. My body depends on those cells..........which means...."_

  


"No, Cloud! You're wrong you're only tired!" Tifa whimpered.

  


"You'll always be with me no matter what, you promised! Don't leave me...I'm scared. I don't think I can face this world without you by my side!" she felt weak and betrayed.

  


"Don't ever leave me, please," she begged, only to see him smile.

  


"I won't I promise. I swear to you I'll never leave...." his sentence was cut short when he fell weakly to his knees holding his heart.

Tifa ran to him adrenaline pumping through her veins, the only power to her legs was the urgency to help him, her one true love. Every time she took a step in his direction he floated further away. He called to her, begging for her comfort, saying that he would never leave. 

He coughed up blood, and removed his hand from his heart revealing what Tifa wished not to see, a hand riddled with blood. There was a gaping hole in his chest, and it was bleeding profusely. It had been inflicted by their strongest foe...Sephiroth.

  


"I-I...love you.." he gasped before collapsing to the ground, the sound echoing throughout the void they had been in. Only then had she been allowed to run to him, without him being pulled away. She ran to him, but stopped abruptly as she heard a splash, she had stepped in a liquid. She looked down at his lifeless corpse floating in a pool of his own blood, which glinted hideously in the dim light. She kneeled down and lifted up his head and rested it on her knee a smile still on his cold lips.

  


"I....I love you too Cloud strife." she whispered, not ever wanting to let go of him. The noise of boots clicking on a metal floor became louder, she ignored it in the beginning, but it grew louder and louder until it became deafening. She raised her hands and cupped them over her ears trying to block the sound, but to no prevail.

  


"STOP IT!" she yelled, and the noise stopped to reveal a deadly silence. She looked down at Cloud, or what remained of his tattered body, he was dead and she was alone. Now she had no one. All too soon, the clicking returned followed by a laugh, a heinous laugh, one that made her sick to her stomach.

  


Sephiroth appeared out of one of the darker shadows that loomed about the void, laughing, in a way congratulating himself for finally ridding the world of its hero, its savior. His masamune flashed in what little light there was. It was covered in blood, Cloud's innocent blood marred its silver perfection and he threw it towards Tifa. She stepped back frightened, but he hadn't intended on killing her, he wanted her to see what he was capable of. That sword had murdered two of the most important people in her life, her father, Aries and now Cloud.

  


"This is the future," he whispered his glare filling in the rest.

  


"What do you mean?" she cried, as she set down her love's corpse, and gained a defensive stance.

  


"If Cloud is allowed to go to Nibelheim, I will be resurrected, and Hojo's experiments will finally end. Jenova will rule all, and I will be her faithful knight." (A/n Sounds a little like Seifer, doesn't it?)

  


"You're sick!" she spat, never had she hated a man in her life as much as this scum standing before her.

  


"There isn't a thing you can do about it, only save your worthless friends hides. And.." he laughed interrupting his sentence, and held his stomach as if he couldn't bare it anymore.

  


"And...You could save my mother the trouble by handing him over to us now. It would save a lot of innocent lives from being lost. If you hand him over," he repeated, "you could save your friends lives..."

  


"I DON'T UNDERSTAND!!" she yelled, and she felt a hand on her shoulder, which jerked her back to sweet reality. 

  


Yuffie was standing over her a worried expression had flickered across her features. 

  


"You...You yelled something in your sleep about not understanding something, and I was worried," Yuffie replied looking suddenly on the verge of tears.

  


"What's wrong?" Tifa asked, sitting up straight in the chair she had fallen asleep in.

  


"He's been asleep for over 3 days now. I want to know when he's gonna wake up again!" she balled her hands into fists but sat on the floor, stress causing her mind to tire. Tifa put a comforting hand on her shoulder, and smiled.

  


"I know, that whatever he is going through....He's fighting as hard as he can to fight it off."

  


"You sure?" Yuffie asked, looking up at her like a lost child.

"I'm sure," she replied, "Now get some sleep."

  


"Okay, but you keep an eye on him," she whispered her tone both playful and warning. 

  


----((Tifa's P.O.V.))-----

  


I watched her jog up the steps to her room, and for a moment I was happy. A sudden groan attracted my attention to Cloud's sleeping form. I walked over to him, his face was contorted in pain. His hand was a tight fist and I held onto his hand,_ ice cold_. _What was she doing to him? _ I laid a hand on his forehead it was hot, I ran into the kitchen to retrieve a rag. I turned the faucet on cold, and held the dry rag under it, letting the cold droplets of water fall onto my hands, it was calming really. All the droplets falling uniformly, occasionally one or two drops sprayed out of the line. Those stray droplets were the members of AVALANCHE, ones who were different then most people. They refused to succumb to Sephiroth and separated themselves from others and put a STOP to him. 

  


"Or at least that's what we thought," she whispered as she turned off the faucet and rang out the rag leaving only a little moisture left on the parched rag.

  


I gently laid the cloth on his forehead. He seemed to notice that I was there, caring for him. His expression softened, _had he won? Had he won the battle against Jenova, that took place not only in his mind, but through his whole body?_ I sighed, I didn't understand my dream. Was it just a nightmare or was it a premonition. All I knew was that I couldn't just hand over Cloud, not now after all that we've been through, not ever.

  
  


----((3rd person view again!!))-----

  


She sat back down on the padded chair that stood across from Cloud. He was silent, a smile brightening his pale face as he slept on the couch. She smiled and closed her eyes. Would her nightmare return? Was its contents even true? She wouldn't know until she had talked to HIM again, and this time she was going to get a straight answer out of him. She soon fell asleep and the nightmare laid in wait to torture her weakened soul. Tonight she would know, tonight she would learn AVALANCHE'S fate. She had to find out about the truth behind Cloud's fearful and silent eyes. Only one man could tell her. Sephiroth.

  
  
  


(A/n WOOHOO!! I'm finally done! That's the ending of chapter 3! If you've already reviewed please do so again! You know the saying the more reviews the better! Hope you liked it! ^__^)

  
  
  
  



	5. The Beginning of the End

"Wounds Never Lie"

By: Elf Fanatic Lark

  


Disclaimer- Okay, I know you're sick of hearing this but I still don't own Anything Final Fantasy 7. Nope, never have, never will! Ah well, on with the story!

  


Chapter 4

* The Beginning of the End*

  


The night was serene and Cloud was walking through the fields of Kalm. The air was crisp and the moon lit up the velveteen sky. The stars were shining their brightest, like little fireflies in the night sky. He sat down on the lush grass and leaned back, staring up at the stars. The soft blades of grass rustling in the wind, tickling his face as they swayed back and forth. Gradually his eyelids began to feel heavy, and he soon gave in to the gentle whispers of sleep. 

  


_Cloud wake up... You Foolish child! You're friends are dying! HAHA!_

  


Cloud opened his eyes in an instant. The sight before him was devastating. Almost every member of AVALANCHE had been killed. A sword wound evident in each of their bodies. Cloud turned his gaze from the deep slashes in their sides, their blood still dripping from their fresh wounds. _Fresh? The attack most have just occurred! The creature that killed them must not be too far away!_ A quiet sob alerted his keen hearing. It was Tifa. She was still alive! He had to find her. He ran to her, but stopped as he saw her huddled up behind a tree. Every time he approached she backed away frightened.

  


"What's the matter with you?" he asked, his heart broken to the fact that she wouldn't come near him.

  


"G-Get..away you, you MONSTER!" 

  


He staredather. She had called him a monster. He lowered his head to escape the picture in front of him. He hadn't done a thing, he was only going to ask her what had happened. As his vision lowered, the glint of red on his gloves alerted him. Blood. The blood of his friends covered his hands. _I couldn't have done this...Tifa must be delusional...I couldn't have done this,_ he repeated in his mind over and over. He unsheathed his Ultima Weapon to prove to himself that he had not committed this heinous act. As he pulled his faithful sword from the holster on his back, he saw what he had hoped been a simple case of being at the right place, but at the wrong time. Its glow could barely be seen through the blood that had tainted its beauty. He noticed that his sword was different, no longer could he make out a pure iridescent blue glow, but an evil black. He recoiled, and dropped his only companion for so many lonely years on the ground in disgust. What had he done? 

  


_You fool. You are nothing more than a puppet, that's all you will ever be! You easily succumb to my slightest plea, now finish Tifa off, give her the freedom to peace. She can not be expected to live a life alone.....you at least should understand that. Release her to the Lifestream. (A place you'll never go....) _

  


In an instant a foreign power took control of his body. Cloud was no longer in control....Jenova was. She used him to retrieve his sword, Cloud prayed inwardly that Tifa would dodge the fatal attack that Jenova had planned.....and she did. Jenova sighed, and withdrew her control, she couldn't fight Tifa on the outside and Cloud on the inside at the same time. She would have to find a way to make it a one-sided fight, and with a little more pushing, she would see results in her favor soon enough. Cloud felt feeling in his legs and arms again, overjoyed at his defeat of Jenova. He was oblivious to the fact that the battle still continued. 

  


Tifa stood and took advantage of his confusion. He felt a powerful punch to his gut land, which launched him into a tree behind him, it felt as though all his ribs had broken. _Only a flesh wound..._he reminded himself. He stood weakly, and held his arm in front of him, his only defense as she prepared to go again, but before she could reach him he grabbed his sword and swung it, purely in defense. He saw her crumble to the ground in a sickening heap. He had killed Tifa, he had killed her without Jenova pulling his strings. _What had he done?_

  


_If you leave now, I promise that none of your friends will die......._

  


_ ********************_

  


Cloud awoke gasping for air. _It was that same nightmare again._ His heart raced and his forehead was covered in cold sweat. The nightmare had never gone on for that long. He never got past the part where he saw Tifa. But, now it had completed itself, it had proved one thing to him. He had to get away and find Jenova. Otherwise, these dreams would continue to haunt him, until he went mad. 

  


He was still weak from Jenova's attack, but he couldn't let it get to him, he needed to be strong. He pushed the covers aside and crept up the stairs to his room. One of the stairs creaked and he nearly jumped out of his skin. He walked wearily to his bedroom and pushed the door aside. Yawning he grabbed a backpack from his closet and packed a few needed items, mainly materia, x-potions, and ethers. He sheathed his Ultima Weapon, which was to his relief still the same iridescent blue, and walked down the steps, carefully avoiding the creaky step. 

  


He gazed around the ground floor, putting into memory all the details, from the neatly organized bottles to the creaky step that he could never avoid, until he saw her. Tifa was sleeping soundlessly on the soft chair across from the couch that he had been on. Her angelic features were enhanced by the gentle blue hue of the moon, which was casting in its light from an open blind across the room. He wanted to wake her up, and say goodbye, but he didn't want to risk her insisting on coming. He kissed her lightly on the forehead, and placed a memento of his in her opened hand, a ruby red crystal that he had gotten in his old Shinra days. He always meant to give it to her, but this was the perfect time. With one final look around he headed through the thick oak doors that served as a temporary entrance to Tifa's bar, and he was off into the night. He walked soundlessly through the streets of Midgar, casting glances at the continuing activities of its inhabitants, wishing that he could be just another guy struggling in the big city, hoping for that one big break.

  


"That'll never happen..." he whispered to the wind, that seemed to kick up as he left the city limits. 

  


Tifa moved slightly in her sleep, and wrapped her fingers carefully around the crystal. She absentmindedly held it to her heart, and smiled. She had no idea he had left, but she would find out soon enough. 

  
  


(A/N Wowie Zowie! That's another chapter done! *pats herself on the back* Stay tuned for Chapter 5!!! Please read and review, even if you've already reviewed an earlier one! Oh and sorry for the short length, next time I'll try to make it longer!!! Thankies! ^__^)


	6. Surreal Surroundings

"Wounds Never Lie"

By: Elf Fanatic Lark

  


Disclaimer- Oh sugar monkeys...I still don't own any FF7 stuff...unless Square would be so kind as to hand some of their rights over...Heh heh heh..Yeah right..In what millennia? On with the story!

  
  


Chapter 5

*Surreal Surroundings*

  
  


"It still looks the same....I wish Tifa was here." Cloud whispered out loud, no one was here, so how could they listen?

  


He walked past the wooden well that had been erected in the center of the town square, and continued toward a plain looking house, across from the black entrance gates to the city. Tifa's house. He walked in, not caring to who was there, this was a ghost town. The Shinra execs that had played the parts of the townspeople had fled when Meteor landed. His footsteps echoed drearily throughout the house as his boots pounded against the hardwood steps. He scoffed as he ascended the stairs and saw the dusty old piano in her room. He still remembered a tune she had taught him on it as a child. It was one of the few things he got to do with her...without the other kids mocking them and whispering insults about himself behind their chubby hands. 

  


He sat down on the bench which moaned eerily as his dead weight settled on it, and wiped the dust off of some of the keys with a gloved hand. A piece of old and tattered sheet music still clung to the ledge of the piano it had been placed on so many years ago. It was the exact tune that she had taught him. He placed a shaky hand onto the antique,and searched his mind for the lessons she had given him. His expression turned into one of dismay as his fingers moved in a state of disarray atop the ageless piano. His ever increasing frustration peaked as his fingers refused to sweep gracefully across the keys, like Tifa could.

  


"Forget it!" he said suddenly, standing up and slamming his hands down on the cold keys of ivory. The shrill sound echoed throughout the small establishment as he exited the house. Another building caught his attention, not one as big as Tifa's, but a smaller, more quaint looking one. Its paint was chipping, and the bricks that covered its front looked on the verge of crumbling, just like his innocent spirit. He stood for a short while staring at the house, a smile straying across his hardened features, but as soon as it came, it seemed to disappear, almost scared away by a memory of its owner's mother. His gaze widened as a woman stepped out of the house he had been staring at.

  


"Cloud?...I-is that you?" The woman whispered, slowly lifting her head to stare at the young man who stood weakly before her. She lifted her head, revealing a crown of gold from out of the shadows. Cloud nearly fell over...it was his mother. She looked at him, her gaze unfaltering, as she bolted over to him, grabbing him in a hug. 

  


"M-mom? I thought you were dead?" he stifled, almost gasping for air, surprised by the strength she had, as she barreled into him.

  


"Me dead? I thought you were a goner." She looked away mournfully. "I haven't seen you for 5 years Cloud. T-The Shinra, they said you were dead. I even saw you..." Tears welled up in her eyes, as she stared at her long lost son. Her grip never letting up, she obviously didn't want him to go away.

  


Her eyes seemed to be a endless ocean of blue, and her hair also spiked out in various directions, but most of it was conservatively pulled into a low ponytail. This was definately his mom, but she had died in the "Nibelheim Incident," as Tifa had dubbed it. She looked up at him.

  


"Cloud? What's a matter?" She backed away, and looked him up and down, frowning. "Didn't you eat anything while you were away? Come on.." she said giggling, while grabbing his hand. "You look like you haven't had a decent meal for awhile!" She led him away into his old house, her happiness seemed to be contagious as a smile planted itself firmly on his face, and his always serious facade melted. 

  


"Just like old times! We've got a lot of catching up to do!" She laughed, as she started to get some pans from a cupboard. He smiled back to her.._ Yeah,..just like old times..._

  


************************

  


Tifa stirred in her sleep, and opened her eyes wearily,_ morning already?_ She sat up and glanced at the source of the light, a gray shuttered window with sloppily hung drapes over it blocked most of the light, except for a thin beam of light that shone through a missing slat of the left shutter. They had just completed the bar, but they didn't have the time to decorate all the rooms with care. So, like the others her room was still a mess of boxes and some of her old junk from her old home in Nibelheim. She sat up and stretched, looking at a pile of boxes, that hadn't belonged to her, she did seem to have a little bit of everyone's stuff in her room. She felt a crystalline object in her hand and opened her palm, which held the object of question. Her fingers gently released the grip they held on the object, and she stared dumbfounded at all the beauty the ruby-red crystal held in its endless depths. She held it up to the beam of light that shone through the room, and gazed in awe at the rainbows of red appeared on her bedroom walls. Where had it come from? She could only guess. She shrugged as she wearily gave up on thinking of the crystal's origin, as a stack of boxes caught her attention.

  


The smaller boxes in the corner had belonged to Cloud. She grinned sheepishly as she crept over to the boxes placing the crystal on the simple chain she wore around her neck. Surely he wouldn't mind if she had a quick look. He was probably still sleeping on the couch, _I mean if he hadn't wanted me to look in them, then why would he leave them in here?_ She liked her way of logic, but she would have a fit if they even thought of going through her stuff, kind of like when Cloud had said he had gone in her house when she wasn't there, this was only fair. An eye for an eye, like they always say. 

  


She lifted one of the corners of the lid and peered inside..._nothing out of the ordinary, just the usual clothes and materia.._ But then she saw a blood red folder and a once white book, splattered with red droplets at the bottom of the box. Her interest seemed to skyrocket. She picked up the two items and placing them on her bed. A wave of uneasiness swept over her as she picked up the book, which reeked of Mako, causing her to absentmindedly rub the blood-red crystal that lay on her neck. As soon as she opened it an old picture fell to the comforter of her bed, she picked it up carefully and her eyes widened as she saw who it was of. The picture was of herself, a man with black hair and Sephiroth, she remembered an eager photographer who had insisted on taking their pictures, promising to get them all a copy. Who was that man to her left? Where was Cloud? Then it hit her. He hadn't been there, he had told her that, why had she forgot so suddenly? She flipped the photo over to see a message written hurriedly on the back. It was written by Cloud. 

  


_Tifa....I'm sorry I let you down. Sorry I couldn't protect you. I wonder if you'll find this. I hope you can survive, because life seems to be passing me by. Shinra is coming, I know the sounds of their vehicles..They're coming for me an' Zack. I know I couldn't save you..But would you save me? I think I'm dying 'cause everything is getting kinda blurry and the dim lights seem so bright, it hurts my eyes to look upon them. But, it doesn't matter as long as you live. I miss you already, even though_ _I can still see you...barely. You'll be okay 'cause I told Zangan you were with us before we left, he'll help you when I couldn't._ _Please survive...not only for yourself..But for me, okay? I-I lo..._

  


The note ended, before Tifa wanted it too, she noticed red covered the rest of the photo, Cloud's blood covered the photo. He had written it at the reactor, where he had stopped Sephiroth, but had not been able to save himself from a mortal injury. Had he really died there? Had Sephiroth been right? She shook her head. She wouldn't listen to the corrupt words of a psycho! The tainted book still laid in her lap...she feared to read its contents. She made up her mind. If Cloud wanted her to know, then he would tell her. She hurriedly placed the contents of the box back, and rushed down the stairs to check on him, she took one final look in the mirror as she passed it, glancing at the crystal gleam in the little light of the hallway, before heading downstairs.

  


She rushed downstairs, to see everyone, to her surprise, awake. They were all gathered in the bar around the banquet table, discussing something. She couldn't understand what they were saying. She snuck up behind the wall, and listened into their conversation not wanting to intrude until she heard all of the details.

  


"So you all know then?" 

  


"Yes."

  


"Do we follow 'em? I mean if it was one of us...Spike would be out there on yo trail in seconds.."

  


"We'd have to ask Tifa."

  


"Why you always so calm Vamp?!"

  


"I wouldn't worry you guys...I'm sure he only went for a walk right?"

  


Tifa knew what they were talking about. He was gone. Cloud had left while she was asleep. She knew it would happen. He was always one to not involve anyone. She hated that, but she knew that he feared for their safety, and he would never have been a part of this group if it hadn't been for his concern for the people's lives, but it was mostly for revenge against Sephiroth. She held the ruby in her hand tightly...Cloud had left her the crystal. She bit her lip, to hold back the tears that threatened to fall, as she thought of him alone on some impossible quest.

  


"He's gone isn't he?" Tifa asked quietly, while walking in.

  


"Yeah, Spike jus' gone and disappeared on us!" Cid exclaimed, his lit cigarette nearly falling out of his mouth.

  


"What're we gonna do Tif? I know he's in trouble! We gotta help 'im, and these losers can't make up their minds!" Yuffie yelled, jumping out of her seat, and raising her Shuirken in a fighting stance. "We'll beat the crap outta anyone who tries to hurt him!"

  


"Right!" Tifa said brightening up. "Cid is the Highwind fixed yet?"

  


"....Y-Yeah I guess. But, you lil' *!#@#$#% better not make me fly it to no damned crater again ya hear?!" 

  


"Don't worry Cid...We'll just search around some towns to see if he's there okay?"

  


"!@%#&%&^%#&^%# Fine," he said gruffly as he left to start up the Highwind.

  


_We're coming to help you Cloud. It's my turn to save you. _She smiled as she stepped out onto the plains of Kalm, the blades of grass crumpling beneath her steel-toed boots, and the wind created by the Highwind's motors, caused her hair to billow out behind her. She stared graciously up at Cid who was beckoning the others onto the ship, yelling cusses out to amplify his impatience.

  


"All right here we GO!" She yelled, as she felt a new energy rush through her veins...hope.

  


"Real great..." Yuffie whimpered as she scurried to the back of the ship clutching her stomach.

  


(A/n Well how do you like it! I'm trying to make it more in depth with the characters feelings...but, I didn't want to completely ruin the main plot. ^__^ Please review even if you already have! Poor Yuffie, I know how she feels. Planes and me don't mix well either... Ah well...Please R&R, and I'll try to update soon!)

  
  



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